


The Vampires

by areyoukiddingme



Category: Interview With the Vampire (1994)
Genre: Biting, Blood, F/M, Kidnapping, Love Triangles, No Smut, Pain, Romance, Some Descriptions of Violence, Vampires, Victorian, Victorian Attitudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 02:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4770665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyoukiddingme/pseuds/areyoukiddingme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lestat de Lioncourt has found a different 'Louis' who is just as reluctant as the other. They attend a ball where they find a particularly delectable young woman and take her home...<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Vampires

* * *

Twilah's heart pattered with excitement as she approached the venue of the masquerade ball with her sister by her side. Rosie was generally reluctant to attend parties as she much preferred staying at home doing her needlepoint but after weeks of grinding her down Twilah eventually persuaded her to send back the R.S.P.V with a positive response.

"Remember, you can't talk to a gentleman without being introduced." Rosie reminded her sister harshly as they entered the venue. Twilah rolled her eyes, knowing the whole speech back to front by now.

"I know, you must have told me one hundred times." She snapped. Rosie looked like she would very well have slapped her had they not been in public.

"Mind your tongue. I don't want you to embarrass us." She hissed as they approached the clerk.

"Hunter family." The clerk glanced down at his list before nodding and Rosie stepped forward, beckoning Twilah to follow her into the dazzling lights of the large, decadent ballroom where every kind of person had congregated.

Twilah stood at the top of the steps for a moment in awe before she felt a gentle tugging at her sleeve, her sister begging her to carry on walking. Twilah forgot any reservations she once had as she was surrounded by beautiful lights and people; she itched to meet every kind of person from the wallflowers to the duchesses and she longed to enter the dance floor no matter who accompanied her, as long as they were competent dancers.

Her sister took hold of her sleeve however and, as Twilah suspected, they were headed straight for the rich young gentleman that Rosie had a fling for and as Twilah, under the strict social laws, couldn't introduce herself to anyone else she had to listen through endless empty monologues from the pair until she was almost driven mad. She wanted fun, not another boring conversation like she had endure every day at home. Her mind began to wonder and as it did she noticed two striking gentleman standing at the other corner of the room whom she was surprised to not have seen before.

One was blonde and tall with an easy smirk on his face as his eyes scoured the room while the other was dark and reserved, his eyes kept to himself and his drink seemingly untouched. Twilah had unfortunately been taught the language of flirtation with gloves so, after checking her sister could not see her bold movements (even though she had taught her them), she began to make absent gestures to the pair. It didn't matter which one of them saw; she only wanted out from this dull conversation. She smoothed the gloves out subtly, meaning 'I wish I were with you' but there was no response. Wondering whether they hadn't noticed, she kept trying it but gave up eventually, frustrated at their short-sightedness.

Glancing across the room, however, she noticed that her signals had gathered unwanted attention; a rotund man in his forties was rapidly making his way towards her. He introduced himself, bowing as he kissed her hurriedly gloved hands. Twilah suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as he led her to the dance floor and argued in her head that it was better than standing beside her sister as she flirted openly to someone she barely knew. As it turns out, the years had obviously honed his dancing skills so he wasn't not impressive on the dance floor, the only problem Twilah had with him was his appalling attempts at conversation. He began to get closer and more repulsive as the dance continued and it was a welcome breather to spin away and perform a few steps on her own back, only to have to career back a couple of moments later. But the queer thing was, when Twilah span back her partner was no longer there. Instead, there was the pale blonde man who she was trying to attract earlier standing in his place. She was momentarily breath taken as he took her hands in his and began to lead.

"Where-" She began, but was cut off by the forward stranger.

"He had to take a short breather, I'm afraid." The stranger spoke softly in a delightfully English accent which Twilah fell for immediately. "My friend has accompanied him outside. I hope you don't mind?"

"Oh, no sir." She said quickly, perhaps a little too quickly in hindsight, and they continued to dance.

This one, she thought, had it right. He danced not only proficiently, but with ease as he seemingly glided them both over the dance floor and there were no attempts at broken conversation. The song ended in a flash and they all clapped save the stranger by Twilah's side. In a hushed whisper, he leant close to her ear in the commotion and muttered 'I will be outside. Should you want me.' before leaning away and looking down at her with a suggestive glint in his eye. She nodded mutely before returning to the safety and boredom of her sister's side.

She watched him leave the building and her brain hurt trying to comprehend how they had switched partners so quickly without her even noticing and why the stranger had not even introduced himself before sweeping her off of her feet. She needed to go outside. She needed a cover.

"Rosie? I'm terribly sorry, I'm feeling a little light-headed. I'm going to take a breath of fresh air quickly." Twilah lied and her sister rolled her eyes.

"I shall come with you, I wouldn't-"

"Oh no, you can stay. I should hate to think I'm dragging you away from this delightful young man's company." Twilah almost gagged as she reeled off those words. She would never have been so nice had she not wanted something.

"Very well." Rosie agreed quickly enough and as soon as she spoke those words, Twilah was practically running towards the exit, glancing back at the magnificent party before stepping out into the cool night air.

The host's house was surrounded by expertly manicured gardens dotted with tasteful water features and a little further out there was an area of sparse trees where Twilah could instantly see the stranger lingering. She made her way towards him, glancing around to see if there was anyone else outside, predominantly the partner who had so suddenly left her in the middle of a dance but she could see no-one.

As she approached the stranger he didn't make any gesture to accommodate her, he merely stared evenly, even when she was directly in front of him he did not speak a word. It began to get awkward and Twilah regretted leaving the normality and safety of inside as there was an uncertain feeling in her gut, like something would go wrong soon and no-one would be able to hear it since she was so far away from the house.

"I saw your signal." He commented eventually and Twilah looked momentarily stunned.

"Then why didn't you respond sir?" She asked coolly, cocking her head.

"I noticed the other gentleman taking an interest and I wanted to see how you would react."

"It was a cruel trick of yours, sir. You knew I wanted _your_ company. Yours or your friends'." She smiled, beginning to warm to his character. He responded eagerly, reaching out and placing his hand lightly on her cheek.

"But that is why I stepped in, my dear. I could see he was making you uncomfortable."

"So he didn't need to go outside?" Twilah asked, a frown marring her features. "Then where did your friend take him?"

"Outside, I told you."

The calm, measured voice of the stranger contrasted the panic building in Twilah's chest.

"But I didn't-" She broke free of his grasp to glance at the garden but he pulled her back quickly, and pressed his lips against hers fiercely. In a flash, Twilah forgot all of her reservations and remembered what had drawn her outside in the first place, the exquisite temptation of excitement and new experiences.

The stranger circled around so her back was now against the tree and she was powerless against him; she tried to push back slightly but his unyielding body didn't give at all and yet still she refused to let panic set in. It was hard to concentrate when a man you barely know is kissing you as you've never been kissed before, one hand grasping at your waist as the other on your neck, drawing your head closer to his.

Twilah's hands curled up in his suit and she felt her breath begin to quicken rapidly, which wasn't pleasant as she was wearing her corset and she could feel both her lungs and heartbeat rattle against the damn thing as the stranger continued to elicit delicious reactions from her. Twilah's head snapped away automatically as she heard a twig snap in the vicinity but he merely took it as an opportunity to work at her neck, his cool lips pressing against her burning skin as she struggled to remember what had worried her.

His lips travelled lower to the crook where her neck meets her shoulder before working downwards and that's when Twilah finally lost her consciousness. Her head fell back and her arms dangled limply by her sides as he continued to hold her by her waist, bouncing her around slightly before smirking. He travelled a little farther into the trees to find his friend who was stooped over the rotund forty year old who was now pale and lifeless as opposed to pink and jolly as he was in the ballroom.

"Why didn't you finish her?" The dark haired one asked irritably, standing up and wiping his lips with the back of his sleeve. His teeth were stained with blood.

"Why, so we could have this little chat, my good man." The blonde one grinned, pretending to dance with the limp body in his arms.

"B-be careful!" The other winced and held his arms out in panic until the blonde one dropped the young woman onto the floor. That was when he just sighed and placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

"Isn't she delectable?" The blonde one asked enthusiastically, placing a hand on the shoulder of the other who obviously did not want it there.

"I don't wish to know and I don't care." The dark haired one scowled and turned away from the woman.

"Surely you must be able to smell it. She's one in a hundred; can't you sense that?"

"Great, she's one in a hundred. But what do you plan to do with her?" The brooding man asked irritably.

"Take her home."

The dark haired one shook his head and smirked but when hearing no sorts of laughter he turned sharply back to his associate.

"You cannot be serious."

"Of course I am." The blonde one commented flippantly, stooping over the body of the young woman.

"I will _not_ have you torture another poor soul." The dark haired one snarled, pointing his finger in warning towards his companion.

"Try and stop me." The blonde one hissed violently before scooping the young lady up in his arms and sprinting towards their dwelling. The dark haired one hesitated momentarily, glancing back at the party before shaking his head and taking off behind his comrade. It was more important that she should be safe from the crazed vampire than for her family to be secure in the knowledge that she was safe.

* * *

 When the second vampire arrived home he had to search for the young lady and her captor but fortunately he found them both in the other man's room, she still soundly unconscious but slightly less dressed than she was in the ballroom and he leering over her with as much detestable desire as he could muster.

"I'm glad you could join us, Count." The blonde one said jauntily, not taking his eyes off of Twilah.

"What are you planning to do with her?" The dark haired one asked, stepping over her discarded outer clothes.

"Oh, nothing." Was the flippant response as the blonde one folded the limp woman's body over his lap and started to pull at the laces of her corset. "W-what are you doing?" The other man watched in horror, not quite believing the audacity of his friend. And in front of him as well!

"Oh, you needn't be so uptight." The blonde man rolled his eyes.

"You are invading her privacy!"

"I'm helping her to breathe." The woman unfortunately proved his point as he laid her back on the bed and she took a deep breath, still refusing to wake up, however.

"You are going to be the death of me Lestat." The dark haired one sighed, collapsing into the nearest chair before massaging his temples. The blonde one ignored him as he was too busy inspecting his latest prey, picking up her hand and marvelling at the rapidly pumping vein within her wrist.

"I wonder what she would taste like..." He wondered aloud, pulling her hand closer to smell at her smooth skin.

"Oh no." The dark haired one darted up instantly. "You take her life or you don't touch her."

"But she's so delicious. Don't you want to try her... Just a little bit?" The blonde one whined as the dark haired one warily looked down at the young lady.

"Come on, admit it." The blonde one tempted him further, watching his hesitation carefully and noting it as a weakness. "I shall tell her that only I bit you so she bears no ill will towards you."

The dark haired one unintentionally caught a whiff of her fresh skin and shuddered, turning away from his desires but the other drew him back in, pressing the dark one's finger onto her vein. The temptation grew to be too strong and, as much as he hated himself for it, the dark haired one took the woman's hand in his own and drew it towards his lips. He savoured the moment, pressing his cold lips to her skin before he worked his jaws around her palm and sunk his teeth into her flesh. He was careful to make a clean incision so the wounds could heal but she still winced in her dozing state and he hated himself and what he was.

Once he'd had that first taste of her blood it was hard for the light haired one to stop him, he had to physically push him away from the tempting young woman.

"Save some for me." He teased, taking up the same hand and biting the other side of it with a lot less empathy or care for her well-being.

The dark haired one felt momentarily high; he believed he could do anything, accomplish everything and stop at nothing. But then he remembered how he had acquired this new sense of purpose and his heart sunk again. He watched his accomplice drink her as he sunk into his chair, detesting himself and everything associated with him. He was a monster.

"She is better than anything we could have imagined, is she not?" The blonde one asked cheerily, licking away the excess blood on her palm before placing it on her chest. The other man murmured something in agreement just as Twilah was stirring. Her eyes fluttered open to alight upon the mysterious stranger from the party and his friend on the other side of the room; a sight she did not expect in the slightest.

"Where am I?" She asked desperately, sitting up before realising her outer garments and corset were discarded on the floor and she pulled the covers self-consciously over herself.

"You are at my home, my dear. Your poor sister couldn't quite carry you home so I suggested you reside here until you are quite better." The blonde one answered, weaving a quick tale that that the other knew immediately was a lie.

"A-and she agreed?" Twilah asked warily, not quite believing him.

"Of course. I am a respected character." He answered pompously. She wanted to say that there were two garments and a corset on the floor to disprove that point, but she didn't say anything lest she offend the man who had so graciously taken her to his home after she passed out.

"And, um, forgive me for asking, who are you sir?" She asked cautiously. It surprised her that she was in his _house_ and yet she still didn't know his name.

"Oh, please forgive me!" The blonde one exclaimed. "I am Lestat de Lioncourt. Vampire."

"Excuse me?" Twilah paled, thinking saw had misheard the poor excuse of an introduction this man had given.

"I said, I’m a vampire." He repeated, his eyes wide and wild and totally serious.

"Don't tease her Lestat." The other sighed, hiding his face in his hands.

She slunk away from Lestat and out of the bed, beginning to jog towards the door.

"Oh, and you don't know my friend either. He calls himself 'Dracula' after that dreadful work of fiction in order to instil... _fear_ into people." Lestat commented as she padded past the aforementioned man.

She suddenly jumped away from him, reaching back so she didn't bump into anything when she let out an extraordinary cry of pain. In half-horror, half-wonderment she lifted her hand to the light where two crescent shaped bites now marred the perfect porcelain skin. There was no doubt now that these two were vampires.

In a heartbeat, Lestat was behind her and she spun around only for him to catch her by her wrist.

"Oh yes." He smiled, looking down at the wounds. "I'm afraid I couldn't help myself, my dear. You are so very delicious."

He moved in to kiss the young lady but she pulled away, staring at him in awe.

"What do you want with me?" She asked in horror, confused by his bewildering behaviour.

With a roar, Lestat took hold of her neck with a wild look in his eyes, revelling in the feeling of her neck muscles straining against his palm.

"I want you to stay in your place." He hissed, easily flipping her around and pressing his mouth against her exposed neck.

"Or I can very quickly end you." He warned, dragging his teeth along her skin and she felt him physically shudder against her back. He flung her to the other side of the room dismissively and turned to his friend instead.

"Dracula, this girl has made me ravenous. Let's eat, shall we?" Lestat asked, donning his cloak and picking up his cane. As there was no response, he repeated the vampire's name a few times before sighing in exasperation and storming of the room. He knew him well enough to know that there was no point in talking to him when he was in one of these moods.

Twilah waited until she was certain that Lestat had gone to cautiously approach the other man who was still holding his head in his hands. She kneeled down next to his chair, her underdress pooling around her as she held onto the arm-rest; she couldn't quite figure out why, but she felt that this vampire was somehow safer. That she could trust him.

"Do I truly smell that delicious?" She asked up to him, quite calmed down after Lestat's little outburst. He didn't even answer, he merely angled his head further away from her.

"Can you tell me what he wants with me?" She asked insistently.

"I don't know." He avoided her gaze as he anxiously scratched his chin. "Perhaps molest and torture you in this dreadful hovel or even worse, turn you."

On the last two words, Dracula finally looked at Twilah, his almost transparent eyes piercing right through her with the strength of his earnest.

"Turn me? What does that mean?"

Dracula was rather surprised that she seemed to be feeding off of this terrifying new information instead of crying and trying to run away. He commended her bravery, and so indulged her with an answer.

"It means you'll become one of us. A monster."

"But you're not a monster." She argued, her eyebrows knitting together.

"How do you know?" He asked, letting out a burst of incredulous laughter.

"Because you're not like _him_." She pointed to the door. "You didn't seduce and kidnap me, you didn't make fun of me and you haven't hurt me." She sub-consciously gripped the hand marred with bites and he felt a pang of guilt. He _had_ hurt her.

"I kill people." He spat maliciously, standing up and beginning to pace the floor. She rose to join him.

"You have to. It's in your nature." It felt to Twilah that she was trying to convince a man that he wasn't a vegetarian.

"I have hurt you!" Dracula cried out, using a last resort to scare her away. "I bit your hand too, I drank your blood. I'm a monster."

He dragged him palm over his face, obviously trying to keep his emotions measured. Twilah tentatively stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Was I as nice as I smell?"

Dracula lashed out, gesticulating wildly at the woman facing him who had a mischievous glint in her eye.

"You're not supposed to act like this! You're supposed to try and run!" He urged. "I could kill you now, right at this very moment, and you're not even scared."

"I don't think you could." The glint was gone from her eye and now replaced with a sincere look.

"No?" Dracula asked, panting lightly but beginning to calm down.

"No. Not now you know who I am. I don't think that's how you work." She reached out and led the spent vampire to sit on the bed with her.

"If you knew how you tasted, you might disagree." He stared at the floor, smirking lightly.

"So I was nice!"

He watched her face light up with something so evidently human, it reminded him of something he'd long forgotten, a lease of life which had slipped out of his memory and he smiled. He genuinely smiled for the first time in centuries. He quickly dropped the smile when she glanced at him, but he smiled nonetheless.

"I would let you kill me, you know." She swept her hair to the side, exposing her pale neck to him. "I'd much prefer that you did it, rather than _him_."

Dracula audibly gulped, momentarily caught off guard as he didn't expect her to do that at all. With slightly trembling hands he replaced her hair to its original place, shaking his head as he did so.

"I couldn't. You were right; I don't work that way." He stood up, looking at her softly before clearing his throat and looking away. "You should get some sleep. It's rather late."

"Yes." Twilah said shortly, somehow put-out by his response. He made a move to leave the room when she called out his name, stopping him in his tracks.

"C-could you watch over me? Not all night, just for a little while?" She asked, her youth pouring through her confident façade.

"You needn't fear Lestat, you know. He was merely hungry and I was being dramatic earlier. You shouldn't fear either of us. Nonetheless, I'll comply to your request. I'll be outside your door for as long as I see fit." He muttered, taking her scarred hand in his and kissing it lightly in order to not irritate the wounds.

"Goodnight Twilah."

"Goodnight Dracula. And thank you." She crawled beneath the covers, not even aware that she should be concerned that he knew her name despite her not telling either of them.

Lestat returned hours later, gliding smoothly through the door to see Dracula reclining in front of a blazing fire, only for old times sake. It's not like he needed to keep warm.

"Enjoy your little killing spree?" He asked crudely, not even glancing up from the flames.

"As a matter of fact I did. How is our little ward?" Lestat removed his cloak, glancing up the stairs as he did so.

"Your." Dracula corrected him bitterly.

"She hasn't tried to escape?"

"No. She seems quite contented."

Lestat made a move to go up the stairs but Dracula stopped him.

"I wouldn't disturb her if I were you. She's sleeping."

"Ah, sleep. I remember it well." Lestat sighed nostalgically, giving up on his quest, instead sitting beside his friend by the blazing fire which was casting dramatic shadows on both of the men's faces. Dracula glanced at his friend, back to the fire, then up at the clock. He couldn't remember the last night he hadn't hunted with Lestat.

"So what exactly _do_ you plan to do with her?" Dracula broke the silence.

"I know as well as you do, old chap. She is a rather beautiful prize, and I would hate to be responsible for stopping that delicious blood from pumping through her body. I think once I've had my fill of her blood, I'll change-"

"I shan't let you turn her." Dracula muttered determinedly into the fire.

"Pardon?"

"I won't let you bring someone else into this hell of existence."

"She might enjoy it. You were just a bad apple." Lestat argued, brushing him off.

"She won't."

"Who are you to say?" Lestat cried out indignantly. "I know; I shall give her a choice."

"What, like my 'choice'?" Dracula laughed bitterly. "I was already dead when you found me, I would have done anything to live."

"We'll see." Lestat muttered softly, an attempt to diffuse the tension in the room which actually did anything but. Dracula still sat fuming, his hand clenched by his side while Lestat fantasised about god knows what, perhaps a new killing or the woman upstairs until the sun rose around them and the fire burned down to mere embers.

* * *

 Twilah's eyes opened to the sun bright on her face. She sat up slowly, trying to remember where she was when her hand smarted sharply and she remembered the ball and the vampires and everything that had followed. She was excited to see how the next chapter of her story would turn out and as she swung her legs out of the bed something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was a large plate of food and a glass of water on her bedside table. She stilled completely for a moment to listen for noises coming from downstairs but there was nothing. She wondered whether the vampires had left her alone in the house.

Deciding not to worry about it, she eagerly devoured the food and downed the water, something she was in desperate need of since she arrived. After she'd finished, she picked up the glass and cautiously opened her door, surprised to find it unlocked and unguarded. She found a tap and filled her glass again, sipping from it distractedly as she looked around the decrepit house.

She hadn't had much chance to look around before and it all looked so different in the dead of night. With every room, she expected to find the vampires lurking, waiting to jump out at her but she couldn't find them anywhere. Then again, she didn't look _everywhere_. There were a couple of rooms boarded up and then there was the scary cellar... she couldn't believe it either. She was happily living with vampires and yet she couldn't build up the courage to go into a slightly dank cellar.

She couldn't quite figure out whose house it was; it was rather large so it was most likely inherited but every picture that she wiped the cobwebs off of she couldn't quite make out the faces of either Dracula _or_ Lestat. They might have been incredibly young, she argued with herself; for if they were photographed just before they turned they would look exactly the same way as she looked at them now.

Having successfully raided the house, Twilah made her way back upstairs to her 'room', only to almost smash her glass upon entry. Lestat was standing in the middle of the room, seemingly awaiting her arrival.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" She spoke candidly, almost dropping her glass again as Lestat appeared directly behind her.

"I know." He breathed, taking her glass and setting it on a nearby surface in order to avoid accident while his other hand absently traced her neck, feeling her adrenaline-filled veins against his fingertips.

"Where is Dracula?" She asked, ignoring his light touch and soft voice. She had seen his darker side and she didn't quite know whether to trust him or not any more.

"He had to go out and hunt, he was starving after a _certain someone_ deprived him of his meal last night." Lestat arched his eyebrow, purposefully teasing her so she would react.

"Don't blame me." Twilah retorted, folding her arms over her chest. "It's your fault I'm here."

"Yes. Isn't it wonderful?" Lestat asked rhetorically, wrapping his arms around Twilah and forcefully kissing her like he did that night of the ball, although she was enthralled with him back then.

Now, her mind was in other places as he kissed her. She thought after Dracula, and how long she would have to stay in this vampire's company. Sadly, Lestat didn't notice her distraction and continued attempting to seduce her while his accomplice was absent. His hands crawled up her waist to her dress straps and he attempted to pull them down her arm, but she placed her hand over his, stopping him in his tracks.

"No. Not now." She lied; she wanted to add 'not ever' but felt that wouldn't go down well, especially with his temper.

He shockingly agreed to her request, merely kissing her lazily before his head snapped up and he stepped away from the young woman. Twilah took it as welcome relief, watching Dracula come through the door and eying both of them oddly. Twilah wasn't quite sure why Lestat had stepped away; Dracula would surely be able to tell what Lestat had been doing, it must be etched on her face and in his greedy eyes. But he didn't comment, waiting for Lestat to approach him to say anything.

"I simply cannot stay in the same room as this woman." Lestat said jovially to his friend.

"Then why do you come?" Dracula retorted.

"I'm afraid I have... an event I must attend." He spoke sharply before lowering his voice and whispering to Dracula (even though Twilah could hear him); _'Keep an eye on the girl.'_

Dracula stared at him with disbelief as he walked out of the room.

"I cannot believe that man." He said once Lestat was out of earshot.

"Please, let's not talk about him." Twilah bit her lip, walking over to the window.

"...Does he hurt you?" Dracula asked gently after a short pause; so he had suspected something.

"I used to dance with my sister whenever anything was troubling us" Twilah spoke loudly, pretending she hadn't heard him. She continued staring out of the window as Dracula carefully thought about his response; he hadn't had to deal with anyone but Lestat for centuries and he was trying to recover the lost art.

"We do have a gramophone." He said at length, the excitement emanating from Twilah reflecting in his eyes.

He led her to an old receiving room where the dusty old gramophone resided, allowing her to choose a record before they waited with bated breath for the machine to crackle into life. To the relief of the both of them, a distant classical melody came through the speaker as Twilah turned, elated, to her partner.

"Shall we dance?" She asked excitedly.

He still couldn't quite figure out how she could act so normal around him, but complied to her request none the less. With her hand in his and her other on his chest (she couldn't quite reach his shoulder, he was rather tall) they span in small circles, occasionally dipping or twirling slightly out of sync with the music. It was certainly less regimented than if were dancing in public, let's say that. And as Dracula had the petite woman in his arms, he felt something, some kind of spark that he hadn't felt, since he was, well... human. Just as Dracula had stumbled onto this revelation, Twilah stopped their dance, pulling at his lapels before kissing him lightly. With the shocked expression he wore as she pulled away, she second-guessed herself and the situation after her little bout of courage.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought-"

She started, but was cut off by Dracula responding ferociously to her affection, his hands cradling her neck as he angled her face towards his. He kissed her passionately, and as he did she was reminded of why she was so attracted to him in the first place. She knew the character he was before he got intimate with her and maybe that's why she didn't have a sustained connection with the other vampire; Lestat was just a pretty face while Dracula was so much more.

As Dracula continued to kiss her, she felt a sharp pain and her lip and started slightly, tasting the blood flooding into both of their mouths. She assumed, as he didn't make any sort of reaction, he must have done it to her purposefully and she pulled away, surprise on her face

"Why you cheeky-" He didn't allow her to finish before eagerly devouring her yet again.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Twilah was reading demurely by the fireside while Dracula was staring into the fireplace as Lestat returned from hunting. As soon as he stepped through the door, he looked immediately at Twilah.

"I smell blood." He stated, removing his cloak.

Dracula tried not to look guilty as Twilah's eyes grew wide, and her fingers flew to her lip.

"Oh, yes. I, uh, bit my lip." Twilah lied quickly, sinking lower in her chair as Lestat approached her.

"Do you want me to help with that?" He breathed, leaning over her and making a move to kiss her.

"No thank you." She answered curtly, placing her book by the side and standing up.

"Why not?" He asked dangerously low, his hand reaching out and clasping the back of her neck. Dracula looked up, fear creeping into his eyes, knowing his friend better than Twilah knew him.

"I-I wouldn't want you to irritate it." Twilah was trying desperately not to madden him, but that obviously was not going to happen.

"I wouldn't irritate it." Lestat spoke softly, leaning his face towards hers again but this time she struggled away. Before, she could handle it, but after being kissed by Dracula it felt almost blasphemous to kiss another man.

"Let me go!" She cried out as Lestat's hand had crept into her hair and was holding her fast.

"Leave her be Lestat." Dracula spoke calmly, rising to stop his friend.

"Or what?" Lestat asked rhetorically, a crazed look in his eye as he threw the young woman against the wall. She was temporarily winded, almost paralysed as Lestat loomed over her. He placed a foot on her chest and she could do nothing to stop it.

"Stop it Lestat." Dracula warned, approaching the vampire.

"Why? You're fine with murdering them. Is torture just too far?" Lestat asked, putting pressure on his foot and there was audible cracking sounds as Twilah screamed beneath him. Dracula winced, attempting to rush to her aid, but Lestat stopped him, holding him by the neck.

"Why do you care so much?" Lestat asked disdainfully. He glared at his friend before noticing his teeth were still slightly blood stained. With Twilah's blood.

"O-ho. This is precious." Lestat mocked, looking between the two as he released Dracula. "Do you two... love each other?"

He walked over to Twilah who was groaning on the floor, picking her up roughly by her hair and snapping her neck back.

"What does he plan to do? Buy you flowers, take you for a walk... bite your neck?"

"No." Dracula barked, stepping forward

"I fear you may not have a choice, my old friend. You may have to put her out of her misery."

Dracula looked apprehensively towards the woman crying on the cold floor.

"You're so dull." Lestat rolled his eyes, turning to the woman on the floor. He knelt down beside her, pulling her limp body onto his lap. She groaned and protested but he hushed her gently, in the manner of a mother.

"Shhh, now, my dear. My friend will take care of you." Lestat glanced back at Dracula, suggesting that 'take care' meat nothing positive in his vocabulary. He then dragged his nails across her collar-bone, dragging out fresh blood that started to pool and drip down her front, filling the whole room with its scent

"Goodbye 'Dracula'." Lestat said shortly, donning his outerwear before walking out of the door, never to be seen by either of them again.

Dracula rushed to Twilah's side. She was struggling to stay conscious and every time she moved stars erupted in her vision.

"Dracula? Dracula?" She asked deliriously as his face swam into her view. "End the pain. I don't care how. Kill me or turn me. Just stop it."

She pleaded with him, her palms clenching into fists by her sides as Dracula pulled at her body uselessly.

"No, you'll live. You don't want this." He urged, looking quite lost and unable to know what to do.

"I want it to stop." She groaned, tears collecting in the corner of her eyes.

Dracula stared down at her; either he could change her and give her this hell of a life that he'd had to live with for all of these centuries. Or he could lose her forever. She cried out beneath him, making him jump to his conclusion.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her neck.

* * *

Twilah awoke many hours later, her previously bedraggled hair now perfect and her eyes able to see more now than they ever could. She sat up slowly, expecting the pain in her ribs to come flooding back, but there was none. She actually felt better than she had in years, minus the intense thirst that was wracking her body. She smelled things that she couldn't previously, the lingering stench of mildew festering in the corner of the room, faint traces of her blood on the floor and the whole world appeared to be ten times clearer to every sense than it was previously. Standing up fully, she saw Dracula crouched in a corner and she approached him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I was sure I was going to die when you apologized to me." She grinned, her affection for the dark haired man rejuvenating.

He didn't answer, merely sunk into himself even more.

"Dracula?" She asked and, sensing something was wrong, she crouched down beside him. "Are you alright?"

"I-I have lost my last ounce of humanity." He said shakily, not looking and her, but taking her hand in his to show her he bore no ill-will.

"Don't say that."

"I wasn't strong enough." He gasped out, his grip on her hand tightening. "I thought I could live without you, but I couldn't."

"You cannot change the past. And anyway, the world appears much more... beautiful like this, don't you think?" She spoke softly.

"Let's see if you still feel like that once you've killed an innocent." Dracula spat.

As her attention was drawn to her thirst, she craved blood once again, but only after having an epiphany which made her eyes light up.

"Why must we kill innocents?"

"Even you said it yourself, it's in our nature." Dracula said peevishly, unaware of her discovery.

"There are plenty of guilty people out there."

Dracula's head snapped up, and he look at her or the first time since her transformation. She was beautiful. Not quite herself, which distressed him, but beautiful none the less.

"Think. The police force is inept, and who better to target criminals than vampires?"

Dracula was about to give an attempt of reasoning with her, but she merely grabbed hold of his clothing excitedly.

"Maybe this is what we were made for. To get rid of the scum of the earth."

"Oh yes, and what of now? We can't exactly just pop out and find a criminal." He inquired dismissively, ignoring the fact that this plan taking shape was actually rather good.

"Well, we may need to kill one or two innocents." She shrugged. "But a lot less in the long run."

Dracula thought for a while before a smiled teased at his lips and he looked directly at Twilah.

"Are you ready to hunt?"

* * *

 


End file.
